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T. M. MILLER. ELASTIC HDRSESHOE.

No. 602,236. Patented Apr. 12,1898.

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UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS M. MILLER, OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IALF TO J. WALTER LOVATT, OF SAME PLACE.

LAsT c HORSE-SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 602,286, dated April 12, 1898.

Application filed August 6, 1897. sesame-647,321. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Bethlehem, county of Northampton, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horseshoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawin gs, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my present invention is to provide a horseshoe with a detachable elastic bearing-surface or lower face of simple, strong, and durable construction, reliable in operation, and in which the sections can be easily and quickly locked and unlocked.

The invention consists in the improved horseshoe, its auxiliary elastic horseshoe, the means for removably securing said auxiliary horseshoe to the hoof-plate, and in the combination and arrangements of the various parts thereof, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully described and finally embodied inthe clauses of the claim.

Referring tothe accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views, Figure 1 is an underneath View of my improved horseshoe, a certain portion of the elastic material being broken away to better illustrate the nature of my said invention;

Fig. 2, an underneath viewfof a portion of the base or hoof plate, illustrating more clearly a series of openings arranged therein for the reception of certain locking lugs or means employed in my device; and Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, sectional views on the lines o o, a: 00, y y, and z a, respectively.

In said drawings, a represents a metallic base or hoof plate, conforming in appearance with an ordinary horseshoe and provided with the usual fullering c and nail-holes b. A rabbet a is arranged on the under side of said hoof -plate and substantially parallel with the inner edge thereof, which rabbet is penetrated at its toe and heels with vertical openings e and d, respectively, extending toward the outer edge of the plate, and thus forming in the latter recesses e and cl, having sloping inner edges e and 01 respectively, for purposes hereinafter described.

The auxiliary shoe consists of the substantially horseshoe-shaped band f, having its quarters flattened at right angles to itself, as at f, thus giving said band a certain springpower, whereby it can be easily sprung into the rabbet a; Integral with said band f or secured thereto in any desired manner are arranged the outwardly-projecting tapering lugs g and h, respectively adapted to penetrate the openings 02 and e and to bear against the under sides of the recesses cl and e of the hoof-plate a, and to thusretain and hold the auxiliary shoe securely in close proximity to said hoof-plate.

The band f and its quarters f are provided, respectively, with projections f and holes or apertures f adapted to penetrate and be engaged by the elastic block 13, cast or otherwise secured to the said band f and its quarters f and projecting beyond the outer edges thereof to the outer edge of the hoof-plate, to thus conform to the shape of the latter. The

lower surface of said elastic block dis substantially horizontal, and the inner surface of the outwardly-projecting portion t bears solidly against the lower surface of the hoofplate a, as clearly illustrated in the various sectional views of the drawings.

After the hoof-plate a has been secured to the hoof in the ordinary mannerthe auxiliary shoe is placed into position, which is accomplished by first inserting the projecting lug h through the hole 6 into the recess 6 of the hoof-plate, in afterward compressing the side sections of the auxiliary shoe until the projecting lugs g g are in alinement with their respective holes, 01 and recesses 01, and in forcing said lugs into said recesses until their upper inner edges bear against the inner edges of their respective holes, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. A firm connection is thus obtained between the auxiliary shoe and the hoof-plate. For removing the former from the latter one a jimmy or other suitably-hooked tool is necessary, which is inserted with its pointed end between the band f and the hoof-plate a, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, until the pointed end of said jimmy or tool engages an aperture f arranged in the heel of the auxiliary shoe. A pressure exerted upon said jimmy will quickly withdraw the lugs g from the recesses cl and opening 01 and thus permit the removal of the auxiliary shoe, as will. be manifest.

In certain instances the hoof-plate can be used without the auxiliary shoe, especially for race-track purposes, 85c. I

I do not intend to limit myself to the pre cise construction shown and described, as vanous alterations can be made without changl.

ing the scope of my invention; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A horseshoe comprising a hoof-plate, af

horseshoe-shaped band removably arranged its quarters and conforming in shape to the l shape of the hoof-plate, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A horseshoe comprising a hoof-plate provided on its under inner portion with a rabbet and at its toe and heels with openings and adjoining recesses, a band in said rabbet and provided with outwardly-proj ectin g lugs penetrating the said openings and engaging their respective recesses, and an elastic block carried by said band and substantially conforming in shape to the shape of the hoofplate, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. A horseshoe comprising ahoof-plate proq vided at its under inner portion with a rabbet, a horseshoe-shaped band removably arranged in said rabbet and having its quarters bent at right angles to itself, an elastic block carried by said band and its quarters and extending to the outer edge of the hoof-plate, and means for removably securing said band and elastic block to the hoof-plate, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I i have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of July, 1897.

' THOS. M. MILLER.

Witnesses:

O. E. GRoMAN, H. A. GRoMAN. 

